Newport film festival announces award winners

May 2, 2008

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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BEST FILM: "Fugitive Pieces," starring Rade Serbedzija, right, won the jury awards for best film, director, cinematographer and screenplay at the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival. To view still from other award-winning films, click MORE PHOTOS.

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WINNING ACCLAIM: Nadim Sawala, third from left, won the jury award for acting at the ninth annual Newport Beach Film Festival for his performance in "Captain Abu Raed." The film was the festival's closing feature. SABRI HAKIM

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MEDITATIVE WINNER: "Yoga Noga Reyoga" won best animated short film at the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival.

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"CARISSA": The documentary about a girl abandoned by her mother and forced into prostitution won the best short documentary film at the Newport film fest.

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MORE THAN CLEAN CUT: Chris Klein won a breakout performance award for his role in "The Good Life," which screened Monday at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

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MORE THAN JUST A 'GOSSIP GIRL': Blake Lively, right, won a breakout performance award for her role in "Elvis and Anabelle," which screened during the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival.

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MOMENT OF TRUTH?: "Lie to Me" won an award for outstanding achievement in filmmaking at the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival.

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BEST SHORT: "The Angel" won best narrative short film at the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival.

BEST FILM: "Fugitive Pieces," starring Rade Serbedzija, right, won the jury awards for best film, director, cinematographer and screenplay at the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival. To view still from other award-winning films, click MORE PHOTOS.

The Newport Beach Film Festival wrapped up its ninth annual gathering Thursday night, announcing award winners and presenting the West Coast premiere of a Jordanian film, "Captain Abu Raed."

The jury award winner for best film went to "Fugitive Pieces," a drama about a man who is haunted by his childhood experiences during World War II. The movie, based on the best-selling novel by Anne Michaels, also took home jury honors for best director (Jeremy Podeswa), best cinematographer (Gregory Middleton) and best screenplay (Podeswa). "Fugitive Pieces" is being released nationally this weekend, including a run at the Lido Theater in Newport Beach (click HERE for show times).

Nadim Sawalha, the title character in "Captain Abu Raed," won the best actor jury award, and Rana Sultan from the same movie won best actress. The jury's pick for best documentary was "Mardick: From Baghdad to Hollywood." Best narrative short film went to "The Angel"; best animated short film was "Yoga Noga Reyoga"; and best short documentary was "Carissa."

Overall, the festival presented more than 360 films from 37 different countries. Organizers estimate that about 42,000 people attended, a slight increase over last year's record 41,500 attendees.

"It very much exceeded my expectations," said Gregg Schwenk, festival CEO, co-founder and executive director. "I'm very proud of the entire team. From our ushers and our ticket takers all the way to programming senior staff, we had an exceptional year."

This year's festival budget was $550,000. Schwenk said he didn't know yet if the festival will break even or finish with a modest surplus. He noted that there were "significant increases in costs" this year, including hospitality and transportation for filmmakers and guests.

On Thursday night, Amin Matalqa, the writer and director of "Captain Abu Raed," attended the screening at the Lido Theater and was met with generous applause and numerous compliments. The movie, shot in Jordan in Arabic, tells the story of an airport janitor who pretends he's a pilot and sparks the neighborhood children's imaginations with stories of travels abroad.

Schwenk noted that, although it might seem unusual for a Newport festival to conclude with a Middle Eastern movie, it was an opportunity to "share in our similarities and celebrate our differences."

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